Chapter 4

• Making embroidery was a skill that every noblewoman must learn. My mother taught me how to embroider when I was thirteen, but I stopped learning it when I couldn't get the hang of it and kept pricking my fingers with the needle.
• That morning, I woke up early and waited for my mother in the courtyard with my learning materials but she burst my bubble when she told me I was going to be learning embroidery. After five years, I thought I had escaped from it but it managed to catch up with me.
• "Ouch." That was me pricking my finger for the hundredth time in the past thirty minutes that I had been trying to make a flower embroidery on a white handkerchief. "Mother, it hurts."
• She ignored me as she checked out some silk materials that a merchant from Ming brought to her. "Yang Mi, how is it coming along?" she asked.
• Yang Mi came over to my side to check what I was doing. "It's better than the other ones," she replied and all the organs in my body did a happy dance.
• I realized being a crybaby wasn't going to get me out of it so I focused on making the embroidery perfect. That way, my mother would let me off.
• My fingers were begging for mercy by the time I completed the flower embroidery on the white handkerchief. Yang Mi showed it to my mother and the side of her lips perked up in a smile before she dismissed me. I wasted no time running out of the courtyard with Mi Su right behind me.
• When I got to my room, Mi Su applied ointment on my fingers while another attendant stuffed my mouth with some sweet delicacies. I thought I was free for the day until a knock sounded on my door.
• "Come in," Mi Su answered. The door slid open to reveal one of the young servants in our house."What is it?" She asked.
• "His Excellency sent me to inform her Ladyship that he's waiting for her on the training ground," he said with his head facing the ground.
• "What?! Are you kidding me right now? How am I supposed to train with these swollen fingers?" I raised my voice at him, making him step back in fear.
• I should have known I would be the focus of my parent's attention with my brother gone. It was a time like this that made me wish I had a younger sibling.
• "You can leave now," Mi Su dismissed him before I could divert my anger at him. "My Lady, I think we should get ready. You don't want His Excellency to get mad at you, do you?" she asked and I shook my head.
• When it came down to discipline, my mom was a mouse compared to my Dad. That man has been training me and my brother in martial arts since I was six and my brother was thirteen. He went easy on me because I was still young but everything changed when I turned 12. My training became tougher as I grew older. I wasn't good with swords and spears but I managed to inherit my dad's archery skills.
• My dad was one of the best Archers in Joseon and I was fortunate enough to possess almost the same skill as him at the young age of seventeen. Because of that, I focused more on my archery skill and neglected the others which made the use of swords difficult for me but I didn't mind because I believe I wouldn't need them in the future.
• Mi Su helped me change into my training outfit which was a long purple robe with a pair of trousers underneath. Instead of going to the usual training ground, I went to the backyard of the house where I trained in secret with my father.
• As a lady, I shouldn't be involved in martial arts, but for some reason, my dad made it a necessity for me. He always reminded me that I might need to defend myself in the future.
• When I got to the yard, I found my dad cleaning his sword. "Father," I called as I approached him.
• My dad was a huge and strong man whose presence commands respect. He was the second most powerful person in Joseon after the king, which is why our family was well respected and envied. Whenever my father spoke, no one dared to object for fear of losing their lives if they made him angry, except me though. Whenever I was alone with him, we often argued because some of his decisions didn't sit right with me.
• Taking my bow from Mi Su, I approached him but he raised his hand to stop me. "Put the bow away, you won't be needing it today."
• I stopped in my tracks, staring at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
• Walking toward the sword stand, he picked up two wooden swords and threw one in my direction. I caught it mid-air as I scrunched my eyebrows. "What's going on?"
• "We are going to be working on your sword skills today," he said with a serious expression on his face.
• "But Father, you know I'm not good with swords." I smiled nervously.
• "That's why we are going to work on it. Now, attack me."
• "What?"
• "I said attack me," he repeated.
• "But dad---"
• "Jungmyung. Attack. Now," he raised his voice.
• Taking a deep breath, I raised the wooden sword and charged at him. I swung the sword, trying to hit him but he dodged it effortlessly and he hit my back with his sword. I cried out in pain but I continued to swing my sword at him because I didn't want to accept defeat.
• After getting hit by my father for twenty minutes straight, I dropped to the ground, groaning in pain. "Can we take a break? I'm tired," I said as I tried to catch my breath.
• "If you were being attacked by assassins, would you ask them for a break?"
• "I wouldn't need to because I would have been dead by now." I threw the sword on the ground
• "Pick up the sword and get up now," he ordered but I remained on the ground. "Jungmyung," he called.
• "Dad please can we continue tomorrow? My body is aching all over," I whined, pouting my lips.
• He opened his mouth to speak but the sound of a familiar voice stopped him. "Father."
• We turned to the source of the voice and my lips stretched in a smile when I saw my elder brother strolling toward us with his hands behind him. His shoulders stretched the material of his jacket and his thick, well-muscled arm flexed as he moved.
• "Dae young orabeoni," I squealed as I got up and ran toward him, wrapping my hands around him.
• My twenty-six-year-old brother was the carbon copy of my dad with his deep brown eyes and tall frame. The training he went through as a soldier enhanced his body, making all the women in Hanyang drool over him.
• "How is my little bunny doing?" He pulled away and pinched my cheeks while beaming at me.
• "I'm not fine at all. Mom and Dad are about to end my life, please save me." I faked my sobbing and wrapped my hands around him again.
• He chuckled and rubbed my back. "Father, you know Jungmyung and swords don't go together. Let her stick to archery."
• "Besides, I will turn eighteen in a few days and will be crowned queen, I won't need all this when I enter the palace."
• "You need it because you going into the palace," my father said and I pulled away from my brother to look at him with my face scrunched in confusion.
• "What do you mean?" I asked.
• "Let's go on a ride, I want to show you guys something." My father left and made his way toward the stable with me and my brother behind him.
• He took out his black horse and my brown horse which I named Jin. We went to the entrance of the house where my brother was already waiting for us with his horse which was the same color as mine. We mounted on the horse and rode through the streets into the forest while my brother and I tried to keep up with my Dad's speed.
• After some time, Dad stopped at the edge of a cliff and climbed down from his horse. My brother and I followed suit as we all walked closer to the edge, looking down at the city of Hanyang. It was a beautiful site to behold.
• "Jungmyung, do you know why the late King betrothed you to his son?" Dad asked.
• "Mother said it was a gift to our family."
• "True, but there are other reasons. He chose you because he believed that the Kim family was the only one who could protect his son. The main reason why Yi Sun's throne is still intact is that he's engaged to you."
• "How is that? The crown prince has the regent and his mother backing him up," my brother interrupted.
• He laughed and turned to us. "Those two don't have a say in the courtroom unless I intervene. The queen lost her authority the moment the king died."
• "But I still don't understand something, there are other powerful families in Hanyang apart from ours, why didn't the king pick one of them?" I asked.
• "They are powerful but not as powerful as the Kims." He turned back to the edge. "Take a look at the city, it's beautiful, isn't it?"
• "Yes," my brother and I chorused.
• "Everything in Joseon is under the authority of one person, the king. So tell me, do you think no other people are coveting the position of the king? Many other families want their daughter to become queen. Do you know what these people will do to get what they want? They will eliminate you or the Crown Prince."
• I swallowed hard at the thought of someone trying to kill me.
• "Your mother and I kept you within the four walls of our house to protect you from dangers that have been chasing you since you were betrothed. Once you leave, we won't be able to protect you," he said with fear evident in his eyes.
• "Dad--"
• "The palace is a very dangerous place, that's why your mother and I are trying to groom you to be the best you can be. The king chose you to be Yi Sun's strength and backbone, I don't want you to become his weakness. Do you understand, Jungmyung?" His eyes bore into mine.
• "Yes, Dad. I promise I won't disappoint you or the late king for giving me this responsibility. I will do my best to help the Crown Prince rule this country."
• "That's more like it." He opened his arm with a wide smile on his face and I walked into it. "I'm going to miss having you around." He kissed my head and I relaxed in his arms.
• Glossary
• Oraboeni- Elder Brother for females.